2022 MLB Cy Young Odds: Sandy Alcantara Keeps Going Deep Into Starts

The end of the MLB season is approaching and we've got plenty of data to give us an informed look at the current MLB Cy Young odds races (as well as the MLB MVP odds and Rookie of the Year odds).

Justin Verlander has returned from the injured list and retaken his spot atop the AL odds board over White Sox righty Dylan Cease. On the NL side, Sandy Alcantara's grip on the favorite status has tightened as he has strung together three straight excellent outings after a brief stumble.

Here's a look at the latest odds to win the respective Cy Young awards in the 2022 MLB season.

Odds to win AL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of September 27, 2022.

AL Cy Young favorites

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (-1,150)

A brief stint on the injured list wasn't enough to derail Justin Verlander's status as the betting favorite to win a third AL Cy Young. It's easy to see why. His 1.82 ERA leads all major-league pitchers. He's second in the AL in wins above replacement (per FanGraphs), trailing Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, who has been snakebitten by BABIP (an MLB high .362) to essentially remove him from consideration.

Nevertheless, Verlander has not disappointed in his return from Tommy John. After missing all but six innings since the beginning of 2020, Verlander has gone 17-4 with that sparkling 1.82 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He's also suppressed the long ball, allowing just 12 homers in 163 innings (0.66 HR/9 compared to 1.45 in 2019).

The veteran has allowed more than three earned runs in just two starts this season and not once since June 18. In the 13 starts since allowing four earned runs to the White Sox, Verlander is 9-1 with a 1.34 ERA.

Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox (+800)

Verlander's closest competition — and really, the only person with an actual shot at sneaking in — is White Sox righty Dylan Cease. His 2.06 ERA is second in MLB (to Verlander) and his 11.16 K/9 is fourth. 

He nearly no-hit the Twins in early September while Verlander was on the shelf, making it look like he stood a chance at claiming the prize, but Verlander's return has rendered those odds nearly moot. And it's not to say that Cease has even regressed all that much. He's completed six innings in three of four starts since that gem vs. Minnesota and has allowed just four earned runs in 23 innings over that span. 

Odds to win NL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of September 27, 2022.

NL Cy Young favorites

Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins (-4,500)

Just as the wolves appeared to be at the door, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara has seemingly slammed it shut once again. The right-hander saw his favorite status dip a bit after some difficult outings in late August and early September but has answered by allowing just four earned runs across three starts where he pitched at least seven innings each time, including a complete game vs. Washington.

Alcantara has thrown nine innings in six different starts and has completed eight in seven more. In fact, of his 31 starts, Alcantara has failed to finish the sixth inning just six times. He is the only pitcher in baseball to have eclipsed 200 innings with a ridiculous 220 2-3 under his belt at this point. The next closest is Miles Mikolas with 193 1-3. In an age where pitchers don't go deep with regularity for a variety of reasons, Alcantara is showing an unaccustomed level of reliability and durability.

Any shot at the right-hander falling back to the pack seems increasingly slim and he should become the first Marlins pitcher to win the NL Cy Young as a result.

Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks (+2,000)

And none of that should discount how impressive Gallen has been — interestingly enough, Gallen and Alcantara were both sent to the Marlins from the Cardinals in the Marcell Ozuna trade of 2017.

Gallen went six consecutive starts without allowing an earned run, ultimately completing a streak of 44 1-3 scoreless innings (the seventh-longest in MLB history. And while he scuffled a bit at Coors Field to end that run (I mean, who doesn't), he more recently stymied the Dodgers, allowing one run on two hits while striking out a career-high 13 batters over eight innings on September 22.

The righty likely won't come away with the hardware but there might be one looming in his future if he can sustain this success beyond 2022.

Julio Urias, Los Angeles Dodgers (+2,500)

Dodgers lefty Julio Urias is about as reliable as they come. He's 17-7 and his 2.25 ERA leads all qualified NL starters. 

Urias, however, is on a relatively short leash compared to other hurlers on the leaderboard. He's thrown just 164 innings in 29 starts, which comes out to just over 5.6 innings per start. That said, he's gone six or more innings in 10 of 12, so he's hitting his stride at the right time. He's 10-1 with a 1.33 ERA across 74 1-3 innings in his last 12 starts and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of those outings.

Previous Cy Young Award winners

Here are the last 10 winners of the AL and NL Cy Young Award, with Cleveland and the New York Mets each leading the way with three. Overall, the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have the most Cy Youngs all time (12), followed by the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Mets with seven.

Pitchers with multiple Cy Young Awards

There are 21 pitchers who have won multiple Cy Young Awards, led by Roger Clemens' seven trophies. Of those 21 winners, five are still currently active in the Majors.

Understanding Cy Young odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Shane Bieber looked to have the AL Cy Young locked up in 2020, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number.

• Shane Bieber -300

That means that a bettor in September had to wager $300 to win $100 by betting on Bieber. Before this year's race even began, every candidate had a (+) sign in front of their number.

• Gerrit Cole +850

With Cole's current odds, a bettor stands to profit $850 for every $100 wagered on him.

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

MLB Cy Young Odds

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